


Never Where They Should Be

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-28 09:52:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and his three Ponds end up exactly where they really shouldn't be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Where They Should Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ddagent](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ddagent).



They've been arguing for the better part of an hour about safety, having evaded the fourth Sontaran Fleet with four hammers and good legs. Rory isn't happy his expecting wife's been subjected once again to the Doctor's danger. This trip was supposed to be so simple.

"Really, Rory, I don't think now is the time—" River had come along, much to Amy's delight, and the Doctor's chagrin. He knew her time was coming to an end soon, and the more he saw her, the less time he knew she had left. He had already started preparing the elaborate sonic screwdriver to give her.

"He should know better—" Before Rory can get another word out of his mouth, the Doctor feels a slight twinge in his chest. Very slight at first, he turns towards the TARDIS doors and ignores the fact Amy has joined in on the conversation.

"Hey, what's the problem? We're safe. The Doctor brought enough hammers for everyone." Once she's close enough, Rory's hand goes to Amy's lower back, rubbing circles as she speaks. "Not as if he had any choice."

"Of course, he has a choice. He always has a choice," Rory says, as the corner of River's eye catches the Doctor. He's making his way towards the doors, his movements growing slow and heavy.

"Sweetie? Is everything alright?" River hears the nearby monitors' beeps, and knows something is definitely wrong. The Doctor's hand clutches his chest as he opens the door.

Staring out into space isn't supposed to be scary, it's suppose to be blank and endless, and every once in a while, magnificent beyond compare. Right now, it's anything but magnificent. The Doctor turns, and suddenly the three of them see the pain lining his face.

"Something's buzzing," he says, and River turns to shut the sound off. "Good, thank you, River. At least someone listens when I give instructions."

"We listened," Amy says. "If we hadn't, obviously we wouldn't be here."

"In just a moment, we're going to get a call. Answer it, it's important." He watches River man the console as though she passed master TARDIS certification in the Gallifreyan shipyards, flipping all the correct switches. There's another beep as River adjusts the monitors to receive the incoming signal.

"You're a type-40 TARDIS inside a demilitarized zone. Please state your demands, immediately." He hears a familiar female voice, not faded with time, not conjured from his memories, but rugged in living audio. He slowly comes back up the ramp, and passes the Ponds in order to reach the monitors.

"Demilitarized? Doctor, we're not supposed to be in anything of the kind," River says as he moves near her. The Doctor continues to feel his hearts beat irregular as he tries to control his breathing and keep his game face on.

"Leela, beautiful warrior of the Seventeem. You haven't aged a day since I was seven-hundred and fifty," the Doctor smiles, the fake smile River knows means trouble. She comes around the console to where her parents are standing, more clueless than anyone would have expected. "I'm afraid we've done a bit of criss-crossing, upside down, inside out, you know how it goes. I need to speak to your leader, where is she?"

"How is this possible?" Leela asks, obviously horrified from the other end. "You're dead."

"Yes, yes, I know. Everything's a bit complicated. Just patch me through to Romana so I may get this straightened out and be on my way."

"Would that I could, I'm afraid your fate is out of my hands, Doctor. The Lady President disappeared from this place many moons ago. After we victoriously won the Time War."

"Did you now? Won the Time War? That's lovely. Then who's in charge?" His eyes flick to the Ponds, who are all three standing together waiting on him to give them answers.

"I am." The Doctor's breath catches as the Master's face fills the screen, not the blonde simpleton he had faced in his tenth self. No, it was the one he had left behind in one of his adventures with Ace McShane, explosives extraordinaire. "And I'm afraid you, Doctor, have done it again."

"Oh, this is brilliant." The pain doesn't let up, but the Doctor's smile widens. "You? Lord President of Gallifrey? Now, this is something I really must see. How did you do it? Did you brainwash them? Was the Death Zone involved? What about the Toclafane, hmm? Did you get them to do your dirty work?"

"We've surrounded your vessel, Doctor, and are bringing you in. I do hope you're a bit more courteous face to face than you are here."

"See you soon." With that, the monitor clicks off, and the Doctor moves towards the Ponds. He can feel the TARDIS moving without their assistance, and realizes his species has stepped up their game since he was home last.

Who was he kidding? How could he possibly explain to his friends they were being trapped in an alternate universe? They had already been through so much already today, and Amy had a penchant for getting grumpy later in the day.

"You three are about to go to the only planet on the universe very little of your species has ever seen." He motions to the three of them. "So, straighten up, put on your best confident face, because these people really like to eat fear for breakfast."

"Who was that?" Amy asks, as the Doctor moves past them.

"My arch nemesis, only well, here, apparently, he's the President of my people. How times change. I really must find Romana. Come along, Ponds. We've got some xenophobic feathers to ruffle."


End file.
